Message
Souta
Souta
開成高校合格！
筑波大学附属駒場高等学校合格！
We returned from America when my son was 6 years old and I was looking for a school where he can continue learning English but in a fun way and we were fortunate enough to find Smile Club. We started going to afterschool classes all through Elementary school and continued with Eiken class and Global class till junior high school. The teachers gave my son guidance and the school curriculum included various fun activities such as games, music, dance etc., Also, there were a lot of special events such as Summer school, Spring school, Odawara nature camp, Halloween etc., and we always looked forward to all those seasonal events as well.
It was like a second home to us with kind and supportive staff, he was able to make many good friends as well.
I believe that it was because of his experiences that he gained at Smile Club that he was able to successfully pass his entrance exams for Kaisei High School and Komaba High School (attached to University of Tsukuba).
Also, by hearing about all the achievement of other past students, it became a strong motivating factor for him to excel as well. I hope and pray that he utilized his English skills to open more opportunities for himself. I am very grateful for this wonderful relation that we have found and developed. We are thankful to all the staff and teachers. Thank you very much. We hope for your continued support.
S
S
上智大学国際教養学部合格!
Sophia University
I was going to another English conversation school for a long time, but my English skills didn’t improve as I wanted it to, so my mother found Smile Club and decided to send me there. Since I started attending Smile Club’s after-school program, I have learned to enjoy English. And by participating in various events, I made many new discoveries as well. I have very fond memories of going to nature camp and summer school. I gradually progressed from intermediate to advanced class, and then from junior high school to high school graduation - I took Saima’s private lessons. It was a place where I could enjoy learning without feeling like I was ‘studying’, and it was an environment where I could naturally absorb English. With Saima’s support, I was able to overcome the university admission and successfully enter Sophia University’s Faculty of International Liberal Arts through my school’s recommendation for my English skills! I wish to utilize the English skills that I have obtained at Smile Club to open up various opportunities overseas in the future. Thank you so much!
Y
Y
I had been going to Smile Club since kindergarten and continued into after-school classes after graduating kindergarten. From Grade 4 to Grade 6 switched to private lessons with Bowen to maintain my English level.
At the school I went to, the main mode of communication was in Korean and daily conversations was in Japanese. I had my struggles but due to English being one of my strengths, I decided to go abroad to USA for further studies.
This year I’m graduating from UCLA and also going to start working for an international company.
Thank you Bowen！
Tokyo Korean Second Elementary School
Tokyo Korean Junior and Senior High School
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
Orange Coast College
University of California, Los Angeles
Chihiro
Chihiro
I have been learning English at Smile Club since I was 3 years old. With kind and caring teachers like Bowen & Andy, I continued coming to the lessons 2 to 3 times a week. The most memorable experience I can remember is participating in the Smile Club Summer Camp in Canada with my sister when I was in elementary school. It was a highly stimulating experience spending time with my friends and teacher in a foreign country. We got on a boat in Toronto to look at the Niagra Falls. From Toronto we then travelled to Alberta to look the world heritage site – the Dinosaur Provincial Park. I will cherish the memory of this wonderful trip forever. I am very grateful to my parents who made me participate in this event. After returning from the trip, I actively took the Eiken test and this year I was able to enter Sophia University as a Law major on recommendation from my Seijo High School. I am very glad that I continued my English education.
Kouta
Kouta
Initially I was going to a different school to learn English. But due to slow progress, my mother found Smile Club and started sending me there. Before my Senior High School Entrance Exam, I had no idea about which school I wanted to go to or what I wanted to be in the future and without having any good reason applied for Aoyama Gakuin. As Aoyama Gakuin puts a lot of weight on English education, the English exam was very hard. Despite the hard exam, I feel the reason I was able to pass the exam was because of the early childhood education I got at Smile Club. It got even harder when I was preparing for my University entrance exams. I challenged to apply for the big three universities that is said to be difficult to pass and I was able to get into all three! I strongly feel that it is because of the English foundation laid at Smile Club that I was able to succeed. I will start my university life at Keio University as an Economics major this spring. My two younger sisters are also going to Smile Club where I gained various experiences. Just recently my youngest sister won the Speech contest held at her elementary school. Persistent learning will become your strength. I am very glad I continued going to Smile Club all these years.
Rio
Rio
Without having the feeling of studying, I feel that I was able to gain knowledge not restricted to English language but regarding other various things. I started from the age of 3 and because of it, in Junior High School studying for English didn’t require any effort. Even for my university entrance exam, I was able to increase my overall grade because of my English score and succeeded in entering Keio University as a Nursing student. I didn’t think that I would be able to go to a university of my choice, and more than me, my parents were surprised with the news. My parents were amazed saying ‘It’s unbelievable to see how the knowledge which is not visibly apparent can contribute so much in strengthening overall language skill!’
Currently I’m interested in medical care around the world and I am learning new things every day in order to one day become an international nurse. The Smile Club learning environment was one of the main influences that led me to find what I wanted to do and each lesson was enjoyable as there was always some new discovery. As there were so many teachers from different countries, listening to stories about their homeland and their personal experiences served as useful examples. I wish to become an internationally active nurse while keeping a keen eye on things going around worldwide.
Kouhei & Hayato
Kouhei
University Year 1（Passed Grade 2 Eiken in Junior High School Year 1）
Started learning English at age of 3, and by junior high school passed his Grade 2 Eiken. Went to Ireland last year for short-term study and currently enrolled in Waseda University SILS.He will be going abroad to study for one year this year too. He is still in touch with his Smile Club teacher Bowen who helped him with his English. He is like family!
Hayato
Senior High School Year 2（Passed Grade 2 Eiken in Junior High School Year 1）
Started learning English at age of 3, and went to Smile Canada Camp twice!After that he went to Sugamo junior and senior high school.Our little Hayato is now going to U.K to study from this fall!We are looking forward to his future endeavours!
Aoi & Rio
Aoi
Senior High School Year１（Passed Grade 2 Eiken in Junior High School Year 2）
Started learning English at age of 3. She used to cry everyday when she was young but she is 16 now and working hard towards her goals. For her senior high school entrance exam, she got a high English grade and was able to get into Waseda Jitsugyou. She is still continuing her English lesson at Smile Club in order to maintain her English.
Rio
Senior High School Year１（Passed Grade 2 Eiken in Junior High School Year 2）
Started learning English at age of 3. She is currently trying her best to prepare for her Eiken Grade Pre-1. She has been to the Smile Canada Camp and also went for a short term study in Hawaii. Currently she is a first year senior high school student enrolled in Kudanshita Secondary School.She is working hard to further improve her English skills in order to get into the university of her choice.
Seiji
Q ）Why did you choose this Kindergarten？
When he was 3 we went to USA and returned to Japan when he was 4. In America he was going to a Pre-school but due to his shyness and lack of understanding of English, he used to cry every day. But eventually he got used to it and just when he started developing interest in English we return back to Japan. After returning he said ‘I want to learn English’ so we looked for schools and came across Smile Club Kindergarten and go him enrolled.
Q ）What kind of concerns did you have before enrolling in the Kindergarten?
He was shy by nature so I was worried if he will be able to adjust but I was surprised at how comfortable he was during the trial class and he seemed to be enjoying himself so much that my worry went away. After the trial, I submitted the application immediately. Although it was a mid-school year admission, he was very excited.
Q ）What did you feel was the most advantageous about sending him to Kindergarten？
To be able to become friendly with people from different nationalities and to be able to express themselves freely without hesitation, was very valuable. It even had a proper Maths curriculum so I felt very assured.
Q ）In the span of 3 years, how much English skill did he develop?
He can enjoy watching foreign movies and animations in English with full understanding.
Q ）At present what is he doing to maintain his English level?
He comes 3 times a week to afterschool class and participants in all of the summer school courses. This year he passed his Grade Pre-2 Eiken exam.
Mae
Q）Why did you choose this Kindergarten？
She joined Pre-school at the age of 2 and we chose the school as she could spend all day in an English speaking environment even for Kindergarten class. Also the teachers took very good care of the children.
Q ）What kind of concerns did you have before enrolling in the Kindergarten?
As it was a small scale school with not too many students and kind teachers, I was worried if she would be able to adjust in a big elementary school group but it didn’t prove as much of a problem.
Q ）What did you feel was the most advantageous about sending her to Kindergarten？
She was able to naturally develop English skills and she didn’t seem to show any hesitation towards foreign languages as she was exposed to it at school. Every year she had Summer school and Winter school with varying themes which I personally thought was very good.
Q ）In the span of 3 years, how much English skill did she develop?
She passed Eiken Pre-2 (by the time of graduation from Kindergarten)
Q ）At present what is she doing to maintain his English level?
After graduation from Kindergarten, she maintained her English by going to Afterschool classes. Currently she takes Private classes at the school. She’s enjoying learning by having a balanced lesson involving reading, writing and speaking.
Elementary School Track Record
British International School, K International School, YMCA International School, Indian International School, Showa Gakuin Elementary School, Public Elementary School and so on.
Junior and Senior High School Track Record
Waseda Institute, Waseda Jitsugyou, Shibumaku Junior high and senior high school, Ichikawa Gakuen, Showa Shuei, Aoyama Gakuin High School, Yamawaki Gakuen, Kudan secondary education schools, etc.
University Prospects
The present educational institutions that our 10 initial students (mentioned in the ‘History of our School’ above) are enrolled in are Waseda University (International College of Liberal Arts), and ICU. They credit their continuous English language education as being an important factor in helping them to get into the school of their choice. These students will presumably study abroad in the future as well. We wish and pray with all our heart for all our students to realize their dreams and achieve all their future goals. We also provide entrance exam preparation courses at Smile Club.
